Balayage Hairstyles - Our Top 15

Highlights trend from France: Balayage

Colour reflexes and bright shades in the hair, highlights that look as if they've been kissed by the sun: Balayage highlights are absolutely en vogue right now! But while the natural colour look has been celebrated in France for a long time, the discreet colour technique has only been a must-have on our heads for about a year. But what exactly is balayage? And what is the difference between balayage and other colouring techniques?

Completely natural thanks to Balayage

The balayage colouring technique creates highlights of varying thickness, length and intensity. The term as well as the technique itself originate from France and means something like "sweeping". This refers to the stroke technique that the hair stylist applies to the hair freehand with a brush and in a movement similar to sweeping. The result is an extremely natural-looking highlighted look that makes the hair look as if it has been bleached by the sun, sea and wind - and that looks very individual and unique on every head.

The effect of the Balayage highlighting technique

Whether fine or stronger contrasts: the targeted brushing on of colour not only visually creates more volume, which can be quite different depending on the hair type and colouring. The advantageous contouring effect around the facial features is a particularly attractive highlight of the Balayage technique, which is created by the harmonious interplay between lighter and darker shades. For example, the cheekbones can be brought into the best light very advantageously by strands placed at this height of the face. If you choose a darker colour, the face looks refined and narrowed. Balayage is therefore not only a sophisticated play of colours for hair and hairstyle - the technique also allows the face to be skilfully modelled and, thanks to accentuated high and low lights, a natural work of art to be created.

Balayage - Haute Coiffure for colour artists

(Source: C:EHKO)

Only experienced hairdressers understand the balayage highlighting technique. This is because, in contrast to the conventional highlighting technique, where the individual sections of hair are sectioned off, coloured from roots to tips and then wrapped in tinfoil, balayage highlights are applied freehand and in varying layers and thicknesses. This not only requires the hairdresser to have a sure touch, but also a clear vision of the overall look that will be created - and which must match the wearer's facial features. The hairline is left out and the colour is applied to the length and - depending on the desired effect - to the tips to achieve great effects and soft transitions. Good Balayage highlights can be recognised by the flowing, soft colour gradient that completely eliminates harsh contrasts and gently frames the face.

Hair colours for Balayage highlights

Balayage is almost like colour art for the hair. Accordingly, there are hardly any limits to creativity. Whether you want to lighten your own hair colour by a few nuances or add golden accents to a brunette mane - everything is possible, nothing is compulsory! Even black hair can get an exciting kick thanks to balayage strands, for example with gently contoured red tones or soft chocolate brown. The balayage technique opens up almost limitless worlds of colour, as long as you know how to use it skilfully!

Balayage: not only for long hair

(Source: Hairdresser Klier)

Even though the balayage effect is certainly most impressive on a mane of hair - balayage strands are not only suitable for long hair, but also wonderful for a woman's short haircut: thanks to the freestyle technique, the colour accents can be matched to both the haircut and the hair structure. This way, even a classic bob or a layered shag, mixed with Balayage strands, looks a lot trendier! But the shorter the hair, the more important the hair stylist's skills: because in contrast to long hair, where there is plenty of scope for detail and the movement of the mane does its bit to give movement to the work of colour art, short hair with Balayage strands has to be worked very precisely and accurately to achieve the natural, sun-kissed effect.

As far as hair care is concerned, the same applies to hair with Balayage highlights as to any other coloured hair. Find out more here: www.friseur.com/haarpflege.html